Field of Invention
Several embodiments of the invention relate generally to a system and methods for the treatment of methane emissions, and in several embodiments, to systems and/or methods for the treatment of methane emissions through the use of methanotrophic microorganisms.
Description of the Related Art
Methane emissions, or methane off-gases, are generated by a variety of natural and human-influenced processes, including anaerobic decomposition in solid waste landfills, enteric fermentation in ruminant animals, organic solids decomposition in digesters and wastewater treatment operations, and methane leakage in fossil fuel recovery, transport, and processing systems. As a particularly potent greenhouse gas, methane emissions are estimated to be responsible for about twenty percent of anthropogenic global warming, and thus represent a significant environmental problem. Accordingly, there have been numerous efforts in the past to remediate, control, and/or otherwise treat methane emissions from a variety of sources.